Improvement in knitting-machine needles



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SAMUEL PEBERDY, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN KNITTING-MACHINE NEEDLES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 162, 1! 2, dated April20, 1875; application filed April 7, 1875.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL PEBERDY, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, haveinvented a certain Improvement in Knitting-Machine Needles, of which thefollowing is a specification:

The object of myinvention is to so construct knitting-machine needlesthat the stitches of the knitted fabric will not fall from the same incase the thread breaks, or in the accidental absence of a new loop; andthis object 1 attain in the manner which 1 will now proceed to describe,reference being had to the accompanying drawing, in which- Figures 1 and2 represent my improved needle, with its lever in different positions;Fig. 3 a plan view, and Fig. 4 a side view, of an ordinary latch-needle.

A is the stem of the needle, the butt of which may be made in the samemanner as that of an ordinary knitting-needle, for attachment to amachine. The stem terminates in a hook, a, to the outer end of which isloosely pivoted the lever D, having two arms, (I and d, the lever beingso pivoted that, while it has a tend ency to retain the position shownin Fig. 1, it can be made to assume that shown in Fig. 2.

In the present instance the hooked end of the needle is slotted asfar asthe point w, and the lever is situated within the slot; but it should beunderstood in the outsetthat the lever may be hung to the side of thehooked end of the stem, provided that there be a recess or groove in thestem for the reception of the pointed end of the arm (I.

In Fig. 1 the lever D is in its normal position, the arm d being raisedand the arm d depressed, so as to cross the hook. The new loop or thread12, which has just been placed over the stem of the needle, is moved inthe direction of the arrow until it is lodged in the bend of the hook,as shown in Fig. 2. In doing this, however, the loop must bear againstthe under edge of the arm (1 of the lever, and must consequently lowerthe arm (1 until its point is in the groove; and as long as the loop 11.remains within the hook it will retain the lever in this position, sothat the stitch m of knitted fabric can be passed, in the direction ofthe arrow, over the inclined or rounded upper edge of the arm (I of thelever, and off the end of the latter, when the loop it becomes one ofthe stitches of the fabric, and remains suspended on the needle untilpushed therefrom in a direction contrary to that pointed out by thearrow, in doing which it will elevate the arm 61 preparatory to thepassage of a new loop of thread into the hook.

The main advantage of my improved needle will be best understood bycomparing its operation with that of an ordinary latch-needle. (Shown inFig. 4.) Supposing the new loop n in this figure to be broken, orsupposing that by some accident no new loop has been formed and lodgedin the end of the hook, the stitch m of knitted fabric will pass overthe latch 10 and drop entirely from the needle, when it becomesnecessary to stop the machine for the readjustment of the stitch.

The same evil, which is a source of delay and expense in allknitting-machil'les, will occur when bearded needles are used. In anordinary rotary machine, for instance, the breaking of the thread, orthe failure of one of the new loops to occupy its proper position on thehook, will generally result in the falling of the entire tube of fabricfrom the whole of the nee dles before the machine can be stopped, anddelay must be incurred in readjusting the fabric to the needles. Morethan this, the continued movement of the machine in the absence of thefabric is apt to break or bend the latches of ordinary needles.

It will be observed that with my improved needle no such accidents canoccur, for, in the absence of the new loop, the old stitch can be movedto and fro on the stem of the needle, beneath the lever, without leavingthe said needle. The breakage of the new loop in the end of the hook, orthe absence of such a loop, will induce the lever to occupy the positionshown in Fig. 1, and hence there is an uninterrupted course for the oldstitch along the stem of the needle and into and from the hook, and notendency of this stitch to leave the needle.

It will be understood that the lever should be so arranged, or soweighted or hung, that it has a tendency to assume the position shown inFig. 1 whenever it isnot controlled by the new loop underneath. In thepresent instance the arm d of the lever is longer, and consequentlyheavier, than the arm d, and therefore has a tendency to raise thelatter arm.

It Will also be understood that, although I have shown the needle asarranged horizontally, it may be in a vertical or inclined position; andthat, although the loops and stitches have been described as being movedon the needle, the latter may be moved, as in many machines.

I claim as my invention A knitting-machine needle having at the end ahook, a, and a lever, D, hung, near its inner end, loosely to the saidhook, all substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

SAMUEL PEBERDY. Witnesses:

HARRY SMITH, HUBERT HoWsoN.

